.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;} <$BlogRSDURL$>

Random musings from a Midwesterner in Beantown.

Tuesday, May 31, 2005

The T South of the City 

The Patriot Ledger toured the MBTA recently and found it was in pretty good shape, despite some crime problems.

Friday, May 27, 2005

Union Square / Broadway / Assembly Square 

unionsquare
Another image I pieced together visualizing maps a little differently. This does not reflect the Green Line spur to Union Square, but does depict a proposed Commuter Rail stop there.

Charles River/Northpoint/Inner Belt 

mapimage
I'm blogging a few images I pieced together depicting the present and future of areas near where I live.

South Shore reacts to Green Line extension 

A few excerpts from a longer story appearing today in the Standard-Times.

BOSTON -- The Romney administration's plans to drop several Boston mass transit projects that were required under the Big Dig -- and substitute several new ones -- has SouthCoast officials hoping the state will finally extend commuter rail to Fall River and New Bedford.

So far, however, Gov. Mitt Romney is looking elsewhere.

He is proposing to extend the Green Line to Medford beyond what was promised in a 1991 Big Dig settlement, add a Green Line spur to Union Square in Somerville, and add capacity to the commuter rail line to Worcester.

[...]

The urban projects were promised under a 1991 legal settlement with the Conservation Law Foundation that cleared the way for the construction of the $14.6 billion Central Artery tunnel through Boston.

[...]

[C]ommuter rail to SouthCoast was not being considered as a substitute, because it could not be completed in time to meet the state's 1991 settlement under the Clean Air Act.

[...]

Under pressure from SouthCoast lawmakers, Gov. Romney announced this month he would release funding for a study to determine what permits would be required for commuter rail to New Bedford and Fall River. The initial planning could cost as much as $6.6 million.

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Somerville from 1950 to today 

A great historical perspective (although the post is a little messed up).

Luberoff's at it again 

Monday's Globe printed an Op-Ed from Luberoff railing against the Green Line extension.

He attacks the project on several fronts, but primarily on the pollution front. First, on any kind of direct impact on auto traffic (and by extension, air pollution), he wrote:

The problem is that building the Green Line will have virtually no impact on automobile traffic. Depending on which MBTA study you believe, it will induce between 3,540 and 14,000 people to switch from cars to transit. Even the higher figure is a miniscule share of the 770,000 people who drive to work in Boston or the 1.8 million people in the region who commute by car.


First off, the higher number is 2% of Boston-bound drivers--perhaps not quite the tipping point for fewer traffic jams, but in the chaotic world of traffic planning, it could have an impact. Secondly, and much more importantly, those aren't folks tooling through the city on the highway at more fuel-efficient speeds. They're starting their cars in our city (resulting in the worst kind of car pollution), idling at lights and generally operating less efficiently and wasting more gas as they drive through their streets. Compounding this, as STEPpers Kristin Blum and Jeff Levine point out:

[H]is analysis ignores the fact that every car you take off the roads reduces not only that car's emissions but the emissions of hundreds of cars that are slowed down by that car (generally, cars going slowly emit far more than cars going at 55 mph.)


Luberoff then gives an example of how much cheaper it would be to just get rid of polluting vehicles, again, assuming air quality is the core argument:

If the state replaced 500 of [older non-conforming high-pollution cars] with Toyota Priuses, it would achieve the same air quality benefits as getting 14,000 people to abandon their cars for the new Green Line. The Prius strategy would cost about $10 million, about 2.5 percent of the Green Line extension's estimated capital cost.


Still doesn't help the traffic problem, thank you very much. Are you seeing the problem with his approach? Attack traffic, ignore pollution, attack pollution, ignore traffic.

He then goes on to attack the well-developed but frankly--at least in regards to the original agreements surrounding the Big Dig, but certainly not to the residents of Somerville--irrelevant argument that the Green Line extension will help businesses and the city:

Defenders of the other Big Dig transit projects have responded such data by claiming a narrow focus on air pollution ignores the transit projects' many other benefits, such as spurring compact development and aiding less affluent communities. State officials should assess such claims before they proceed. There is, for example, no clear data showing that regions with extensive downtown-oriented rail transit systems have more jobs in their urban core than comparable areas without rail transit.


Two words: Davis Square, Davis Square and Davis Square! Has he been paying attention? Has he visited Somerville ever, or does he just drive through?

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

The Somerville News scoops dirt on the Durrell School 

Hey, I'm a newbie to Somerville. Sure, I know who the Winter Hill Gang was, and I've met our two most recent mayors, and I'm pretty sure they're not the best of friends. And yeah, I've dealt with the bureaucratic BS of some of the city's operating departments. But I'm still amazed at the nastiness of city politics and the kind of underhanded shenanigans (I've been waiting a while to use that word) that seem to still be going on. Somebody's got to explain all this to me someday!

Monday, May 23, 2005

"Underground Boston" Tours highlight T and the Big Dig 

The Boston Herald had a great story on the tours that Dan Lynch leads today. His tours start at Faneuil Hall's statue of Samuel Adams every Sunday at 2pm, and cost $11. The newspaper also highlighted a new book on the construction of America's First Subway (yes, we were first!).

Commonwealth Magazine still doesn't get it 

Read this.

I have three questions:

  1. What city does Luberoff live in? (It's certainly not Somerville--though he works in Cambridge.)
  2. How is his commute?
  3. Why does Peter Keough still not get it even after the furor on his pub's forums?

Wig Zamore of STEP comments thusly:
As with Luberoff's initial piece, today's "Sic transit" opinion by Peter Keough of Commonwealth Magazine completely ignores the most important transportation, air quality and public health research of the last 15 years. That research shows devastating impacts upon the public health of those who live in closest proximity to our major roadways and other mobile emissions sources. Massachusetts public health records agree.

Saturday, May 21, 2005

Assembly "de-malling" continues 

The BBJ has a great article on the "de-malling" of Assembly Square, "probably one of the best retail sites in the entire country," according to developer Peter Merrigan, who sold the site to Federal Realty for $65 million, a price which he nevertheless couldn't refuse.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

A GREAT visual tour of the SCP, Green Line extension & Grand Junction RR 

Andrew Lynch has a great site called The Future MBTA that I just stumbled across with a photographic walking tour (if you dare) of the Somerville Community Path, Green Line extension, MBTA properties and the old (and still used) Grand Junction Railroad. I loved it so much I made some maps to accompany his photos. Maybe you'll see them soon...

Green is go (to Union & Medford), Red is stop (to Blue) 

While the state will still not commit funds to connecting the Red Line and the Green Line, or to reinstating trolley service to the Arborway, it has agreed to extend the Green Line to both Medford and Union Square--the committment to Union Square was announced yesterday. This is great news, and is another step toward fulfilling all of its committments related to Big Dig environmental mitigation.

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Boston Harborwalk Association tours Charlestown Yard 

Date: Mon, 16 May 2005 17:22:43 -0000
From: "Bryce Nesbitt"
Subject: Report: Boston Harborwalk Association tours Charlestown Yard

Thursday May 12th, 2005

Today Sarah Kelly, new interim director of the Boston Harborwalk Association toured the Charlestown Yard path site. This where the MBTA is settling an EPA fine, by transfering a 3/4 mile long swath of riverfront for public access.

Janice Kearney of MBTA environmental set up the visit with bus repair garage supervisor Brian Hinds. We visited both the Assembly Square / Draw 7 park / Amelia Earhart Dam side, and the Route 99 / Harborwalk side. In particular we paid attention to how a person would travel from the existing Boston Harborwalk, through Sullivan Rotary, and then along the river behind the Charlestown MBTA facility.

The MBTA garage supes (several of them), greeted us warmly. That is, once we found them! One supe felt that a new path would be great for use during lunch breaks. We mostly looked at the layout of things. This was not a design meeting, just an opportunity to look at the site.

It is my hope that the Boston Harborwalk Association will adpot this segment as 'intended harborwalk', to give additional visibility to the project. If this is built as harbowalk, it would help ensure consistent branding and connectivity with the rest of the pathways along the harbor.

Bryce "just visiting for a week" Nesbitt

NB: Find background on the project at
http://www.pathfriends.org/lower_mystic/

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

May 26th big day for Big Dig transit commitments 

Date: Tue, 17 May 2005 07:52:56 -0400
From: "Wig Zamore"
Subject: MassINC Forum on Big Dig Transit May 26th at 8 AM

Dear STEP Participants,

Thursday, May 26th is shaping up to be quite a morning. MassINC will hold a forum on the Big Dig transit commitments from 8 to 10 AM at the Omni Parker House. Then at 10 AM the Boston MPO and Exec. Office 0f Transportation meet to "consult" on the projects at the State Transportation Building. To check the Boston MPO calendar yourself, go to Meeting Calendar and Agendas at:

http://www.ctps.org/bostonmpo/involved/meetings.htm

To RSVP for the forum folks should go to MassINC at:

http://www.massinc.org/events_forums/events/index.html#forum

The forum description and other related material released by MassINC this morning follow.

Regards, Wig

**********
The CommonWealth Forum:
End of the Line?
Big Dig-Related Transit Projects and the Future of Public Transportation

Thursday, May 26, 2005
Omni Parker House Ballroom
8:00 - 10:00 AM

Should the Clean Air Act determine Massachusetts's transportation investments? That's what happened in 1991 when the state settled an environmental lawsuit over the Big Dig by committing to a host of commuter rail, subway, and trolley projects. But in the spring issue of CommonWealth, David Luberoff dissected the environmental and traffic relief claims of the Big Dig pact, finding that the projects not yet built - Green Line extension to Medford, Red Line-Blue Line connection, and restoration of Arborway light rail - would accomplish little, at great cost. Environmentalists and public officials, current and former, shot back in a CommonWealth Online Forum. Now, with the state preparing a capital plan for future transit construction that may not include two of the three remaining Big Dig-related projects, we take the discussion live, in a CommonWealth Forum.

Panel includes:
Stephen Burrington - Undersecretary of Commonwealth Development
David Luberoff - Executive director, Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston & Harvard's Kennedy School of Government
Fred Salvucci - Former Secretary of Transportation & Senior lecturer, Center for Transportation and Logistics, MIT
Phil Warburg - President, Conservation Law Foundation

To RSVP for this event, click here or call (617) 742-6800 ext. 131.


**********
From MassINC this morning:

Upcoming Events & Invitations

May 26, 2005: The CommonWealth Forum: "End of the Line? Big Dig-Related Transit Projects and the Future of Public Transportation" Join us Thursday, May 26, 2005 at the Omni Parker House from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

More on Big Dig transit: New responses in our CommonWealth Online Forum



The CommonWealth Forum - "End of the Line? Big Dig-Related Transit Projects and the Future of Public Transportation"

Thursday, May 26, 2005
8:00 to 10:00 a.m.

Omni Parker House
26 School Street
Boston

Panelists include Undersecretary of Commonwealth Development Stephen Burrington, Phil Warburg of Conservation Law Foundation, David Luberoff of the Rappaport Institute, and former transportation secretary Fred Salvucci.

Click here to RSVP or call (617) 742-6800 ext. 131

Publications

More on Big Dig transit: With the state reportedly planning to drop the Red Line-Blue Line connector and Arborway trolley from its transit construction schedule but go ahead with the Green Line extension to Medford - all projects mandated under Big Dig-related agreements - our CommonWealth Online Forum ("Dug In") is proving to be timely indeed. New additions: Ellin Reisner and Wig Zamore of the Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership argue that extending the Green Line through Somerville is a matter of environmental justice, and David Luberoff responds to his critics. Send us your reaction!

Monday, May 16, 2005

Somerville cheers, Medford... unsure? 

Apparently folks in Medford aren't as ecstatic about the Green Line extension as us Sommervillians are. And Tufts hasn't exactly jumped on the bandwagon either. Why not?

Thursday, May 12, 2005

State to bite the bullet 

"The state is expected to announce plans soon to build the MBTA's Green Line extension through Somerville and West Medford, one of the transit projects legally required as part of the Big Dig, said state and local officials who have been informed about the plan."

Graphic: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/05/12/One_of_the_primary_routes_being_studied_for_the_Green_Line_extension/

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Somerville STEP responds to Luberoff's claims 

David Luberoff made some interesting claims in a recent article in Commonwealth Magazine. Somerville STEP addressed some of the shortfallings of Luberoff's article yesterday. It's good reading for anyone concerned about public health in urban environments, the future of public transportation, and of course development in Somerville.

Monday, May 09, 2005

MBTA: Where job security trumps customer satisfaction every day! 

My experience with the MBTA has been almost 100% positive, mostly because:


  1. I have a reverse commute
  2. I usually only have to travel 2 stops
  3. I avoid buses and the Green Line as much as possible
  4. I usually use a T pass
  5. In bitter cold weather when all of the Orange Line trains break down, I've never been in any particular hurry to get anywhere


That experience changed last night. I neglected to get a T pass this month, because I figured I'd actually be riding my bike or driving to work more than T-ing it. But a persistent flat in my rear tire and no time to fix it meant it was T time. Yesterday morning, following the T's own advice, I purchased my return trip token ahead of time.

Yesterday night, I deposit my return token in the turnstile and cross through the gates before the collector is able to inform me verbally (by shouting through the glass window as best as she could--the speaking apparatus was of course broken) that there are no more trains--and that I would have to take the bus. Fine, I know this happens--they're still "fixing the signals" I guess, whatever that means.*

I exit the gated area, approach the collector in her glass cage, and ask for my token back. That's when things get ugly.

"I can't give you anything," the collector states matter-of-factly.

"Excuse me?" I ask.

"I didn't sell you anything, so I can't give you anything."

(I'm a little incredulous at this point.) "But you obviously saw me go through the gate, and I presume you saw me put a token in--I certainly didn't jump the gate. I put a token in, and the T has refused me service. I'd like my token back."

"It's not my fault. A supervisor was supposed to be here to close the gates. I can't give you anything--I didn't sell you anything. I'd come up short. It'd be held against me."

(Okay, it'd been a long day. My temper is starting to flare.) "I don't really care whether you're short a buck twenty-five... It's not really about you. It's about the T giving me proper customer service."

"Sir you can take the shuttle bus..."

(Cutting her off...) "Yes, I know that. But the shuttle bus is free, because of the inconvenience. Now I'm being inconvenienced even more. I'm not asking for a refund, I just want my token back!"

"I can't do that."

"Well what do I need to do to get my money back?"

"You can wait for the inspector to arrive."

"When will that be?"

"She was supposed to be here already."

Perhaps it's because she didn't apologize. Perhaps it's her tone of voice, or the matter of fact way she states that I was screwed. Whatever it was, it makes me really mad.

"This is absolutely rediculous. I demand to speak to your supervisor. Call her again."

She picks up the phone. Deep breath, Van Hoosear, deep breath.

A few people come close to wasting their tokens, but I inform them that train service has ended. They can at least hear me, unlike the collector behind her glass.

Another T patron approaches the collector booth.

"I'd like to buy a token please."

"There's no train service. The shuttle bus is outside."

"I know. I'd like to buy a token."

"I can't sell you a token--there are no trains."

"I know there are no trains. I just want to buy a token," he re-states.

Maybe the glass is making it hard for her to understand? I have to interject.

"Ma'am, I think he knows there are no trains. He just wants to buy a token. Why on earth would you refuse to take his money? If you won't refund my money and you won't sell any tokens, just what exactly are you good for? Tell you what, I'll make sure," I say, winking at the now equally frustrated other passenger, "I'll make sure that he doesn't go through the gate. But please let him buy his token."

"Okay. There are no trains," she repeates in a louder voice to the other passenger, just in case he didn't hear her the first four times. She gets her $1.25. He gets his token. Remarkably, he pockets the token and does not use it to try to get onto a train--there's no train service, you'll recall.

I then watch as, no more than a minute later, my shuttle bus pulls up and departs. I'm not on it--I'll have to wait for the next one. Deep breath, Van Hoosear, deep breath.

"Call your supervisor again. This is incredible. I have to get home. I can't wait here all night! Call somebody. Call the T police. This is rediculous."

(At this point she makes several calls, but of course I can't really hear her because, you know, the glass.)

Thankfully, a supervisor arrives just a few minutes later. Finally, someone can shed some logic and good customer service on the situation. I plead my case to her.

"Well, the collector did the right thing--she's not allowed to just give out tokens," the inspector says.

Bingo. I'm angry again. "So you can't do anything for me? This is crazy. I paid to use your train. I'm just going to head right back up to the platform and wait for the train I paid for, and you can just go ahead and call the T police to escort me off if you want to. I paid for the service. Then we'll see who's right."

"Go right ahead," she says, reaching for the mike clipped to her collar. A challenge! (Of course she probably knew right at that moment that three police cars were on their way to the station--I know, isn't this getting exciting?) But through the angry haze a cooler head prevails. I capitulate.

"How can I get my money back?" I ask, trying to diffuse the situation--none too quickly as the first officer arrives on the scene just a few moments later.

"Well, you can write to the MBTA. They'll cut you a check. It'll take two to three weeks. I can give you the address." Okay, finally, we're at least getting somewhere.

"Two to three weeks? A check? For a buck twenty-five? Doesn't that seem a little silly to you? Fine," I say, shaking my head. "I'll take it."

The inspector asks the collector for a sheet of paper. At this moment, the first officer arrives.

"Is everything okay?" he asks, looking at both of us, but of course mostly me.

The inspector looks at me for a moment, then says: "No, no problem. It's okay."

The cop assesses the scene again, lets her know he'll be outside, and departs.

The inspector turns to me. "How often do you use the T?" she asks.

"Every day. I usually have a pass, but not this month."

"How far do you go, and which T stop do you get on at?"

"Two stops, that's all." I tell her which stations I use.

"Okay, look. I'm going to write you a note for one free fare. It'll have my inspector number on it." If I have any problems, she says, I can ask for her--she tells me when she starts and which station she works at usually.

Now we're talking! My stubbornness, if not exactly patience, has paid off. I thank her, send one more look over to the collector, and head out of the station. On my way out, the MBTA police officer calls me over to his car just as car number two rolls into the station.

"Jeez, I'm sorry--I didn't mean to trouble you guys that much," I say as the third police car pulls into the station. "Out of the frying pan?" I think to myself.

"The collector called in a disorderly, so we send three cars. Standard procedure. What happened? I got yelled at by someone telling me to leave you alone as I was walking into the station. What's going on?"

I explain the situation to him, happy that some other MBTA patrons stood up for me.

He shakes his head. "Yeah, they'll never give you a token like that." Thanks. tell me something I don't know. "Where are you headed? Can I give you a ride?"

Nice gesture, but rides in the back of cop cars aren't as cool as they were when I was a (usually well-behaved) kid. "No thanks," I say. "But I appreciate the offer."

Of course, in hindsight, I should've said "yes, but only if you run with the lights and siren on," but somehow the right words never quite make it in time. Never have. That's why I like writing. I can sound more intelligent than I am. Anyway, that's the end of my story--except that I wait around for the next bus, and so do the three cops, and I think I got an escort to at least the next station just to be safe. Me, a troublemaker! Brad, what do you think of your do-gooder friend now?

TO THE UNNAMED MBTA COLLECTOR: You probably walked away that night feeling like you were in the right. Shame on you, and shame on the MBTA for failing to instill any sense of customer service on its employees. You, Ms. MBTA Collector, are a representative of your company, indeed the only representative for most patrons. You were rude and unhelpful, and offered no recourse to me whatsoever. You, Ms. MBTA Collector, are the MBTA, at least as far as I am concerned. So to say "it's not me, but the T" is a rediculous statement.

TO THE INSPECTOR WHO HELPED ME: You kept a cool head and earned a great deal of respect from me. You also blamed "the T" for the problem, but at least you offered a solution to my problem, which is all I really cared about. It took you a little while to come up with the solution, but in the end you redeemed my T experience as much as possible.

TO THE MBTA OFFICERS WHO RESPONDED: God bless you all for putting your lives on the line every day. I hope I didn't pull you away from anything more important!

TO THE MBTA: I've said my piece. Shame on you for promoting a workforce where personal culpability overrides customer satisfaction and any sense of initiative.

* Yes, I know what it means. It's complicated. Blah blah. But it's certainly taking them a long time, and I think their time and money would be better spent trying to prevent every single train from breaking down when the weather hits zero Farenheit.

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

Green Line extension to happen? 

The Somerville News reports that after pressure, the Green Line extension may be added to the state's TIP--transportation improvement plan.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Cambridge/Somerville Green/Historic Bike Tour 


From: Ron Newman
Subject: May 21: Cambridge-Somerville Go-Green History Bike Tour

May 21st: Cambridge-Somerville Go-Green History Bike Tour
-----------------------------------------------

Bicycle tour of Cambridge and Somerville with a History theme

Saturday May 21st, 2005

Ride departs from Cambridge Common at 10:30am. Please arrive by 10:15
for orientation

Easy 9-mile ride with stops for historical commentary

Refreshments at the ride's middle behind the Davis Square T at around
11:30am and end at the former Somerville Police Station on Bow Street
around 1pm

Rain date May 22, same departure time

-----------------------------------------------

For a map of the route, a history pamphlet, rain date announcements,
and more information, visit:

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~ledlie/BikeRides/Spring2005/

-----------------------------------------------

This tour is organized and supported by:

Cambridge Bicycle Committee:
www.cambridgema.gov/~CDD/et/bike/bike_com.html
617-349-4629

Somerville Bicycle Committee
617-628-8895

Cambridge Historical Commission
www.cambridgema.gov/~Historic
617-349-4683

Cambridge Historical Society
www.cambridgehistory.org
617-547-4252

Somerville Historic Preservation Commission
www.ci.somerville.ma.us/Division.cfm?orgunit=PRESBD
617-625-6600 ext. 2500

Cambridge Community Development Department
www.cambridgema.gov/~CDD
617-349-4600

Cambridge and Somerville Police Departments

City of Cambridge:
www.cambridgema.gov

City of Somerville:
www.ci.somerville.ma.us

-----------------------------------------------

For more information about GoGreen month, visit

Visit www.cambridgema.gov/gogreen for more information

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?